The last day of the NFL Draft for players from non-NCAA Division I schools can have some challenges to it mentally.

Take former St. John's University wide receiver Evan Clark as an example.

"As a small school guy, you kind of wait through the late rounds and then, if you don't get picked, there's a sense of panic and then there's a sigh of relief if you get something," Clark said. "It might not be everything you hoped for, but it's something."

For Clark, that something is an invitation to participate in the rookie mini camp for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs invited Clark to camp as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Clark has a simple goal for the rookie camp: Make a good enough impression to be asked to the team's mini camp.

"The goal is to perform like I have in every level in life, play my football and, hopefully, make their team," Clark said.

Clark, who was listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds last fall, was an All-MIAC first team pick twice and a three-time D3football.com All-West Region honoree for St. John's.

He caught 29 passes for 496 yards and six touchdowns and rushed 13 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns, playing in 10 of the Johnnies' 11 games this season.

Clark finished his career with 23 receiving touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and two kick returns for touchdowns. His 29 total touchdowns is 15th on the school's career list.

He is also 14th in career receiving yards (1,701) and his 1,185 kick return yards is second on the career list at St. John's.

Clark graduated from St. John's with a degree in communications in December. After graduating, he said he moved to the Twin Cities and was working out at ETS Next Level in Woodbury.

One of ETS Next Level's owners is Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. Thielen, a former Minnesota State-Mankato player, ran through some drills with Clark on a couple occasions.

Evan Clark(Photo11: Courtesy of St. John’s University)

"Every now and then, he'd stop by and I ran some routes with him," Clark said. "It was really cool. He's a really down-to-earth guy.

"Both he and (former Concordia College wide receiver) Brandon Zylstra have gone through the process," Clark said. Zylstra played in the Canadian Football League for the Edmonton Eskimos. "It's cool that they both play the same position at wide receiver. They gave me some little tips to take things to the next level and help me prepare."

Clark, who is from Phoenix, participated in a tryout camp at the Arizona Cardinals' facility March 23. He said he had spoken to scouts from the Chiefs during the season and after participating in the University of Minnesota pro day March 28.

At the Minnesota pro day, he bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times, had a vertical leap of 37½ inches and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds.

"Just being able to participate in that was really cool," Clark said of the Gophers' pro day. "Just being able to shock everybody with my bench press and my vertical as the smallest guy from the smallest school ... to see the faces of the other guys and strength coaches and scouts was fun.

"I know I'm a faster runner than whatever they clocked me at and what was reported. But I'm not going to let that take away from my happiness of the success from that and the amazing chance of what it has led me to so far."

Clark will be the first St. John's player to participate in a camp with an NFL team since wide receiver Blake Elliott signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Follow Mick Hatten on Twitter, Instagram @MickHatten and at Facebook.com/sctimesmick. Reach him by phone at 259-3621, by email at mhatten@stcloudtimes.com.